Key Criteria for Brand Identity
Brand awareness can be distinguished in terms of two key dimensions—depth and
breadth. Depth of brand awareness refers to how easily customers can recall or rec-
ognize the brand. Breadth of brand awareness refers to the range of purchase and
consumption situations in which the brand comes to mind. A highly salient brand
is one that possesses both depth and breadth of brand awareness, so that customers
always make sufficient purchases as well as always think of the brand in a variety of
settings in which the brand could be employed or consumed.
Thus, in terms of creating brand salience, in many cases it is not only the depth of
brand awareness that matters, but also the breadth of brand awareness and the
proper linkage of the brand to various categories and cues in the minds of cus-
tomers. In other words, it is important that the brand not only be “top-of-mind”
and have sufficient “mind share,” but it must also do so at the right times and
right places.
Breadth is an often-neglected consideration, even for brands that are category lead-
ers. With many brands, the key question is not whether customers can recall the
brand, but rather, where do they think of the brand, when do they think of the
brand, and how easily and often do they think of the brand? In particular, many
brands and products are ignored or forgotten in possible usage situations.
Increasing the salience of the brand in those settings can be an effective means to
drive consumption and increase sales volume. For example, a potentially effective
strategy for market leader Campbell’s Soup might be to ensure that its customers
think of the soup during possibly overlooked consumption opportunities (e.g., as
a sidedish at dinner).